| Vacation planning is fun and easy so you don't need | | | | saves you money, but it does. Feel free to |
| to get overwhelmed. The first thing I want you to | | | | experiment with your own online travel booking |
| do is to take a deep breath and don't panic. If you've | | | | engine of choice with this concept by making queries |
| never done this before, relax. I am here to help you | | | | separately and then as a package, but it's been done |
| with some simple steps to plan a great vacation. | | | | before and proven to save you money. I do know |
| 1. Determine Your Budget. | | | | that Rovia Travel has the best online price 68% of |
| There are many ways to go about determining your | | | | the time as compared to Travelocity and Expedia |
| budget, but I usually set a price of how much I want | | | | according to a recent independent survey by Topaz |
| to spend (per person) and then go from there to | | | | International so you may want to check them out. |
| determine how to find the best travel deals based on | | | | 4. Research Your Vacation Destination & Plan Your |
| where I want to go on a cheap vacation. You need | | | | Travel Itinerary. |
| to be reasonable regarding what the budget will be | | | | Researching my vacation destination and planning |
| for your vacation or getaway. A very realistic and | | | | great itineraries is one of the things that I sort of |
| reasonable budget for a cheap vacation is between | | | | excel at in vacation planning because I love |
| $800-$1200 per person including airfare, hotel, car | | | | researching the hot tourist attractions of the |
| rental, food, tips, and airport parking. I've traveled all | | | | vacation destination I'm visiting. I know some people |
| over the country on business and the average | | | | just like to "wing it," but that lack of vacation planning |
| budget for a two-to-three day business trip is about | | | | can really add hundreds of dollars to your trip. There |
| the same amount so it's a very reasonable for a | | | | are two great ways to do your research. First, there |
| cheap vacation for an entire week (especially when it | | | | are so many online tools at the local tourism offices |
| involves air travel and a much longer stay). | | | | of the areas your visiting that have all the main |
| 2. Choose Your Destination. | | | | information at your fingertips, plus many have |
| Here's a little insider travel secret. I've traveled to | | | | coupons or travel deals you may not have been able |
| some amazing vacation destinations at amazing | | | | to find in other ways. The second thing I like to do is |
| prices, but I don't usually choose my destination. The | | | | pick up a great guide book for the destination I'm |
| destination chooses me. It can get a little frustrating | | | | going to. Frommer's Travel Guide Books and Rick |
| but I can tell you that if destinations did not chose | | | | Steves' Travel Guide Books for Europe are very well |
| me, I would never have went to Jamaica and seen a | | | | researched and written and these authors update |
| live starfish swimming underwater when I was | | | | their books almost yearly so you know you have |
| snorkeling off of a beach in Negril, climbed the Great | | | | up-to-date information. |
| Wall of China, traveled through the Panama Canal or | | | | 5. Make Two Checklists. |
| met a baby sloth at a sloth sanctuary in Costa Rica | | | | Now you need to make two checklists for your |
| just for starters. I went to those vacation | | | | vacation planning. One is a list of things to do before |
| destinations not because I had a deep desire to | | | | you go on vacation. This includes finding a pet sitter, |
| travel to Montego Bay, Beijing, Panama City, or | | | | getting a neighbor to pick up the mail, calling your |
| Puerto Limon, but because I was chasing a travel | | | | mobile phone service to arrange for a text/email |
| deal. Now, vacation planning via chasing a deal is a | | | | package while you're away if you're traveling |
| great way to get cheap vacations and save a lot of | | | | internationally, secure a passport or visa (if you need |
| money. I have been on some incredible trips and | | | | them), get medical vaccinations if necessary, call your |
| gone to vacation destinations I never would have | | | | credit card companies to let them know you'll be |
| had at the top of my travel destinations "bucket list," | | | | traveling and what cities or countries to expect |
| but I realize chasing the travel deal has prevented | | | | charges to come up on, and things like that. The |
| me so far from going to Tahiti's island paradise of | | | | second list for your vacation planning is a list of things |
| Bora, Bora (my life long travel dream) and I still want | | | | to pack. |
| to do the "Sound of Music" tour in Salzburg, Austria. | | | | Now that wasn't so bad, was it? Now you see how |
| So you usually have a choice: chase the best travel | | | | simple vacation planning is even for an inexperienced |
| deal or choose your travel dream. | | | | traveler. These are the basics of vacation planning |
| 3. Book Your Airfare, Hotel, and Car Rental. | | | | and now that you know how to plan your vacation, |
| When you're vacation planning, the best way to save | | | | we have a lot of extra bonus travel tips my travel |
| hundreds of dollars on your vacation is to book | | | | website (see below) to help you discover a world of |
| everything together as a complete travel package. I | | | | ways to see the world. Bon Voyage and have a |
| don't have any technological reason as to why this | | | | fabulous vacation. |